KTM enamored with Pedro Acosta: the door is open for a future return

The Murcian rider fulfilled an important dream by winning his first MotoGP race: it was a special moment for him and KTM, with whom he will part on excellent terms.

He would have liked to step onto the top of the podium earlier, but Pedro Acosta had to wait until his third MotoGP season to make one of his dreams come true. The Austrian Grand Prix, KTM’s home event, was the perfect opportunity to unlock himself and also to give the Austrian manufacturer a top-class victory that had been missing for four years. After the disappointment of crashing in the sprint race, the two-time world champion bounced back and at the Red Bull Ring enjoyed the celebration alongside the team he will leave at the end of the 2026 season.

The fact that KTM allowed him to do the test with the 2027 prototype and the Pirelli tires further confirms the excellent relationship between the parties. Understandably, other manufacturers decided not to let riders who will change brands next year take part, but Acosta was granted permission and he tried to do his very best to help the team without thinking about his future in the Ducati Lenovo box with Marc Marquez.

The Mattighofen factory did everything possible to convince El Tiburon to keep wearing orange, but he wanted a change and felt that signing for Ducati was the right choice for the continuation of his MotoGP career. It wasn’t a matter of money; Acosta believes he’ll have a better chance of winning by riding for the Borgo Panigale team. And he isn’t afraid to enter the “wolf’s” den of Marquez.

Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsport Director, did not hide his admiration for Acosta and did not rule out embracing him again in the future: "Pedro is truly special," he told AS. "He can do everything and will have a great career. I don’t want to compare him to Valentino Rossi or Marc today, but I can guarantee that in the future, if we speak again in a couple of years, he will be one of them. He will leave at the end of the year, but I can guarantee that he will leave this company as a friend, because we care about him. We are giving and will give everything for him until the last race. He is still very young and KTM will be very willing to welcome him back if one day he wants to return."

Beirer confirmed the strength of the relationship between the parties, and it’s natural that he kept the door open for a possible return. The Murcian rider is 22 years old; in 2027–2028 he will race for Ducati, and after that anything can happen. KTM knows that to be attractive it must guarantee a winning technical package. But before thinking about the future, there’s the present to focus on.

The victory at the Red Bull Ring will likely provide further motivation to the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team heading into the final stretch of the 2026 MotoGP championship. Acosta is fourth in the overall standings, 72 points behind Jorge Martin—not a small gap—but the title race remains open: you should never count out a rider of great talent, especially one fresh from the immense satisfaction of a first MotoGP race win.

Obviously, for KTM it becomes crucial to keep racking up top-level results, avoiding mistakes and hoping the competition makes them. The next two Grands Prix at Motegi and Mandalika could be decisive in determining whether Acosta can genuinely think about the world crown or whether he’ll have to forget it, at least for 2026.

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